Sardel Review: Cookware Made in Italy

Sardel is a D2C ("direct to consumer") cookware brand. They offer clad stainless, carbon steel, and nonstick cookware in sets and open stock at lower prices than many retail brands. The cookware is high quality--but is it better than other top-selling brands? 

We put Sardel cookware to the test to find out how it's different from brands like All-Clad and Made In--and to find out if that difference is worth investing in.

The Sardel Lineup at a Glance

Here are Sardel's cookware buying options. Sardel also sells coffee, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, wooden utensils, and aprons, but we did not test any of these. All products are sourced in Italy and do seem to be high quality.

Sardel cookware is sold only at their website, so all links go to the Sardel website. (You can also find their other products at this link.)

All Sardel cookware has free shipping over $50, free returns, and a risk-free 30 day return policy.

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About Sardel

Sardel was founded in 2019 by the Kamhi brothers (Americans) and is a privately owned company. Sardel contracts with a foundry in northern Italy, which makes their high quality clad stainless and carbon steel cookware with "contemporary methods and traditional craftsmanship." They also sell Italian olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a few other smaller items, all sourced from Italy. 

From their website:

We partnered with a multi-generational, family-owned manufacturer in Italy to create cookware products that are beautifully classic in design, crafted with high-quality materials and vastly more attainable in price than the high-end brands we were accustomed to seeing. 

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Where Is Sardel Cookware Made?

All of Sardel's products originate in Italy. The cookware is made in a foundry in northern Italy. 

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What Distinguishes Sardel Cookware from Other Brands?

Sardel is marketing their cookware as a more friendly alternative for home cooks. An excerpt from this interview explains the Kamhi brothers' philosophy behind the Sardel brand:

We started Sardel because we grew frustrated with the cookware options available on the market. Consumers either must splurge and overpay for high-quality cookware, or settle for cheap, poorly made cookware that wears out quickly and in some cases is unsafe to use. We set out to change that, with the goal of selling high-quality stainless steel cookware at a more affordable price than traditional premium brands. We also wanted to build a kitchenware brand that encourages people to feel comfortable in the kitchen.

So, they are distinguishing themselves in two ways:

• Less costly than other premium brands of cookware (e.g., All-Clad)
• Geared to the home user who wants to feel comfortable in the kitchen rather than create Instagram-worthy food pics.

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Does Sardel Cookware Contain Teflon (PTFE)?

Yes. Sardel's nonstick skillets have a PTFE-based coating. This is the generic term for "Teflon" but is the same material. 

It is PFOA-free, but all cookware sold in the United States today is, by law, PFOA-free. (There is much more to know about PFOA, and it's far from safe/not safe--if you're going to buy nonstick cookware, you should educate yourself about what "PFOA-free" actually means.)

We do not recommend buying any PTFE nonstick cookware because it is terrible for the environment, even if it doesn't contain PFOA. 

We especially do not recommend buying clad stainless nonstick cookware because you will pay too much for pans that don't last. 

Sardel nonstick skillets are more expensive than their clad stainless steel. Though the pans get excellent reviews, they contain PTFE, so are unlikely to last any longer than other nonstick cookware. 

Also, the cookware comes with all the use restrictions of PTFE cookware: no metal utensils, no aerosol cooking spray, always wash by hand, and--most important--no high heat, which destroys PTFE and breaks it down into toxic chemicals.

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Is Sardel Cookware Safe?

Yes, Sardel cookware is safe. Both clad stainless and carbon steel cookware are very safe non-reactive cooking surfaces. 

PTFE nonstick cookware is also safe when used correctly (i.e., low heat, no metal utensils, etc.), but since it is terrible for the environment, we recommend going with the carbon steel pans if you want a nonstick surface.

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Is Sardel Cookware Induction Compatible?

Yes: all Sardel cookware, including their clad stainless, nonstick, and carbon steel, is induction compatible.

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Do You Have to Season Sardel Cookware?

Sardel's carbon steel skillets are sold un-seasoned, so they need to be washed and seasoned before use. (Unseasoned carbon steel pans are typically sold with a wax or oil coating so they don't rust, and this has to be removed before you can season the pan.)

If you do not season carbon steel pans, they will rust, so it is an essential part of caring for the pan.

Sardel has a great post about how to season your carbon steel pans--it's an easy process and the result will be a virtually nonstick skillet that will last for decades (possibly generations).

Sardel's clad stainless and nonstick pans do not require seasoning.

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Sardel Claims: True or False?

These are statements made by Sardel or reviewers of Sardel that we evaluated to see if they stood up to our testing and research. 

Our goal is to look past marketing jargon so we can get as close as possible to determining the facts about the cookware (because we are the "rational" kitchen).

Made in Italy

True! All Sardel cookware is made in northern Italy. Their other products, including olive oil and balsamic vinegar, are also sourced from Italy.

Premium Cookware at a Reduced Cost

True or false, depending on the product. Sardel is a direct-to-consumer brand, so they try to keep prices low by cutting out the middle man (i.e., a retail store).

We're not sure how true this is for any D2C brand. 

For example, while D2C brands are careful to keep their stainless cookware at lower prices, you may end up spending too much on a carbon steel skillet. A 10-inch Sardel carbon steel pan is about $70, but you can get a French-made Matfer Bourgeat 11-inch pan for about $65. (By the way, this is true for Made In carbon steel, as well--it's more expensive than most of the French brands you'll find on Amazon.)

There may be reasons you're willing to pay more, such as you may prefer the shape of Sardel's carbon steel pan. But as far as quality, durability, and heating performance, there is little reason to spend more on a Sardel or Made In carbon steel pan.

Also interesting is that Sardel's nonstick skillets are more expensive than their stainless. (This is true for Made In and All-Clad, too.) We recommend not buying clad stainless steel nonstick because it's expensive and it wears out as fast as less expensive aluminum nonstick pans. (Also, aluminum nonstick pans tend to have better heat distribution because they have a thicker layer of aluminum.) 

Comparing set prices is a little harder because it's never apples-to-apples. We do love that Sardel sets come with two large skillets--10-inch and 12-inch--and that they don't make an 8-inch skillet at all (it's not a very useful piece for most cooks, so yay! for Sardel). But the only sauce pan that comes with their sets is a 2-quart, which is small--too small, for example, to boil a pound of pasta.

They recently introduced a 3.5-quart sauce pan, but it is not yet included in any of their sets. 

However, all the sets linked to above have a 2-quart sauce pan, so that seems to be a typical size; to get a larger sauce pan, you have to either buy it separately ("open stock") or buy a bigger set. 

To summarize: some of Sardel's prices are less expensive, and some aren't. If you're looking at Sardel to save money (and still get a premium brand), you will have to do a fair amount of price comparisons to make sure you get the deal you want.

5 Ply Is Thicker than 3 Ply

Can be true or false, depending on construction. To be fair, this isn't actually a claim made by Sardel (at least not one we could find on their website), but by one of the reviews we read when we started our research. The review says "To put it in context, many brands have just 1 layer of aluminum in the core of their pans. By having 3 layers, Sardel’s pans can give a better cooking performance without hotspots."

As we discuss in several of our clad stainless cookware reviews, the number of layers--or plies--is not nearly as important as the overall thickness of the pan. 

For example, if a pan has only one internal layer of aluminum but it's 2mm thick, it's going to heat more evenly and retain heat better than a pan with three internal layers of aluminum that's a total of 1.7mm thick. 

It's a common misconception that "more plies means better heating." It can, but to determine that, you need to know the thickness of the pan. And preferably, the thickness of the heating core itself (i.e., the aluminum), but if the maker doesn't provide that, we have to cut a pan open and measure it ourselves. Or, we can measure the overall thickness and estimate the thickness of the heating core by knowing that most clad stainless is about 30% steel and 70% aluminum.

By our measure, Sardel clad stainless is 2.6mm thick: the same as All-Clad D3. Which means you can expect Sardel to have similar heating properties as All-Clad D3. 

To compare, Made In is 2.7mm thick, which gives it an ever-so-slight edge in heating performance. 

In general, thicker cookware heats better and is more durable, so you should always buy the heaviest cookware you can comfortably handle.

For many people, that's a brand like All-Clad--and Sardel clad stainless comes very close to it in construction and heating performance.

Nonstick Coating is Teflon-Free

Technically true, but actually false. Teflon is a brand name for PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), the material in a nonstick coating that makes it nonstick. Today, there are hundreds of different brands of PTFE on the market, so cookware makers can honestly say their cookware is "Teflon-free" while still using PTFE.

Sardel doesn't use Teflon, but their nonstick coating is PTFE-based.

Also important: There is a common misconception that PFOA is actually PTFE, but it isn't. PFOA is in the same chemical family as PTFE and was used to help the PTFE adhere to the pan's surface. PFOA is now outlawed in the USA, so no cookware sold here contains it (so the label "PFOA-free" doesn't tell you all that much). 

You can read more about PTFE and ceramic nonstick cookware in this article.

Hollow Heat Resistant Handles

True! Sardel's handles are some of the best we've used. They will eventually get hot on a gas stove, like any handles, but they have an amazing ability to stay cool longer than just any other handle we've tested.

They are also extremely comfortable and easy to grip.

Easy Cleanup 

True or false, depending on your point of view and which pan you're washing. If you're used to using nonstick cookware, you may find Sardel's clad stainless a pain to wash (as you would any clad stainless). Or if you're not used to the care required for a seasoned carbon steel pan, you may find that a pain, too. 

So it really depends on where you're coming from and what pan you're washing. 

We found Sardel's clad stainless no easier and no harder to clean than other clad stainless cookware. 

Having said that, we think clad stainless is the best cookware material and find it overall easy to care for. And when you do get the occasional burnt-on mess, you can let is soak in hot soapy water before scrubbing, which usually takes care of the problem.

So from our point of view, yes--Sardel cookware is easy to clean. But you may have a different perspective.

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Sardel Vs. All-Clad and Made In (Comparison Table)

Here we compare basic features of Sardel to All-Clad D3, the best-known premium brand of clad stainless cookware in the US, and Made In, a hugely popular D2C brand. This should give a good idea of the differences (and similarities) among the brands.

We look primarily at the clad stainless pieces, but include a few notes on Sardel's and Made In's carbon steel pans, as well. 

Of the three, All-Clad is the only one with several product lines. We use All-Clad D3 to compare here, even though the other two brands are 5-ply. All-Clad D3 is its most affordable line of clad stainless and the closest in configuration to the other brands, even though it's a tri-ply product. (Why? Because All-Clad D5 has an internal layer of steel between layers of aluminum, but D3 has an all-aluminum heating core, like Sardel and Made In.)

*Even if cookware is "dishwasher safe," always wash by hand for best results. Dishwasher detergent is abrasive and it can destroy the polished exterior of stainless cookware and is also bad for nonstick coatings.

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What to Look at When Buying Clad Stainless Cookware (How We Rated Sardel) 

Here we get into the details of testing and rating Sardel cookware.

We tested the Sardel 10" skillet, but you can apply the results to all Sardel stainless cookware. 

Here are the factors we look at:

• Heating performance
• Durability
• Safety and Stability
• Design and Usability
• Value, Price and Warranty.

You may have additional considerations as well: you should give this some thought before you buy. 

Heating Performance

The Sardel 10" skillet weighs about 2.3 pounds (compare to a Made In 10" skillet, which also weighs 2.3 pounds).

We used the pan for frying hamburgers, chicken breasts, steaks, and a few other tasks.

But first, we boiled water in the Sardel to get a basic idea of its thermal conductivity and heat retention. 

The Sardel skillet performed well: very close to All-Clad D3 (but for less!).

Water test: This test isn't exactly a controlled experiment, but it helps us understand a pan's basic thermal conductivity and heat retention properties.

Thermal conductivity: On an induction cooktop at full power, the All-Clad skillet brought 2 cups of room temperature water to a full boil in about 2.5 minutes; the Sardel pan took about 2.5 minutes, as well. 

Also, note in the pic above that the water is also boiling well around the entire pan, indicating even heating (which is exactly what you want).

Heat retention: After 5 minutes of cooling, the All-Clad pan's water temp was at 120F; the Sardel pan was at an astonishing 135F. This is a much larger difference than we expected, and frankly, we're not sure how to account for it. But if you're looking for a stainless steel pan with great heat retention, this test indicates that Sardel is a good option.

Chicken breast: We always allow stainless pans to heat for 3-4 minutes before adding a bit of oil or butter, then let that heat until just melted or shimmering. With this method, chicken breasts browned beautifully, which we expected because of the pan's excellent heat retention. (A pan with good heat retention will stay hot even after adding food, which results in better browning.)

We used medium-high heat to get a nice brown, then turned down the heat to cook through. Using medium-high goes against advice from makers of clad stainless cookware, but it's the best way to get a good, browned crust on your meat (which is delicious, and which also can be used to make a lovely pan sauce).

Steaks: Steaks turned out surprisingly well. Even with the excellent heat retention, we didn't quite expect the beautiful browning we got. We heated the pan with no oil until it was about 500F (yes, we know that sounds hot, but it's how you get that delicious crust on your steak). 

We won't be replacing our cast iron with a Sardel stainless pan anytime soon for high-heat searing, but even so, it did a remarkable job.

Ground beef: The pan was great for steaks, so we expected it to perform well on ground beef, too, and we were not disappointed. At medium-high heat, the ground beef got a nice level of browning and made some delicious tacos. (We didn't get the best pic, but trust us: this pan can brown your ground beef very well.)

Our overall opinion of the Sardel stainless skillet is that it's a versatile, all-purpose pan that you'll probably use every day. It heats evenly, fairly quickly, and retains heat better than just about any other clad stainless skillet in its class.

We recommend the 12-inch size for the most versatility, unless you're cooking for two, in which case the 10-inch may be large enough.  

Durability

All high quality clad stainless steel cookware is extremely durable, and Sardel is no exception. It has an excellent build quality and should last for generations.

Sardel doesn't specify whether the cookware is 18/8, 18/10, or some other grade of steel, but we are going to assume that it's at least 18/10, which is strong and corrosion resistant. We could take a half-point off for them not disclosing this information, but we're not going to because Sardel is obviously very high quality.

It's also thick enough--as thick as All-Clad, remember--that it should never warp, even under high heat. 

Safety and Stability

We nearly always give stainless steel cookware a 5-star rating for safety and stability because stainless steel is one of the safest, most non-reactive surfaces you can choose for cooking.

Sardel definitely gets the full 5-star rating for safety and stability.

Just like all stainless steel cookware, Sardel will leach small amounts of nickel and chromium into your food when new or when used to cook acidic foods like tomato sauce. But this is nothing to worry about! Your body needs trace amounts of both nickel and chromium, so unless you have an allergy, it's completely safe. 

Leaching also diminishes over time, so the more you use your Sardel cookware, the more stable it becomes.

You can read more about stainless steel leaching in this study.

Design and Usability

Overall look and feel: At first glance, you can see that the Sardel skillet is a high quality piece of cookware. It's polished finish is exquisite and its lines are long, lean and minimalist: everything we want in a stainless steel pan.

Pick it up, and it feels comfortable  in your hand and easy to maneuver. It has all the traits we look for in a skillet.

Pan shape: All the Sardel pans have a great shape. The skillets have plenty of flat cooking surface, yet enough curve to the sides that you can get a spatula in it easily.

The sauce pans and stock pots have straight sides for easy cooking and cleanup, and aren't too deep. 

The 4-quart sauté pan is also superb, with deep-but-not-too-deep sides. 

The carbon steel skillets have the traditional flattish handle (with a slight top groove for easy stabilizing), but the pan's shape is more like a stainless skillet, with curved sides rather than the angled sides you see on more traditional French carbon steel pans. We don't recommend one shape over the other for carbon steel, but it's something to think about before you buy.

Weight: Sardel cookware is light and easy to handle. It weighs approximately the same as Made In and All-Clad stainless steel. For most people, this weight is a good compromise between excellent heating and good maneuverability. (Heavier clad stainless, such as Demeyere, will have better heating properties, but can be unwieldy because it weighs more.)

The carbon steel pans are heavier than the stainless steel, which is to be expected. They are still lighter and easier to handle than cast iron, and will provide a similar nonstick cooking surface (after seasoning) and superb heat retention (which makes this pan the right choice for eggs and searing steaks, as well as many other tasks). 

Handles: We love the Sardel long handles. They're some of the best handles we've ever used. Being hollow makes them light and helps to keep them cool (no handle will stay completely cool, especially on a gas stove, but these handles do remarkably well). 

The bottom side has a grip that just fits perfectly into your hand for easy maneuvering and stabilizing. 

The short handles are roomy enough for most people to get their hands inside even while wearing oven mitts.

Helper handles: One disappointment is that the 12-inch skillet doesn't have a helper handle, and it's big enough that it should, because it can be hard to handle a 12-inch skillet when it's hot and full of food. We deducted a half point for this because we think it's a big miss. We've seen more of this in recent years--makers not putting helper handles on their large skillets--and it's probably to keep costs down, but it's a safety issue: large pans need helper handles.  

The sauté pan does have a helper handle, which is good, because it's even heavier than the 12-inch skillet.

Rims: Sardel pans have the flattest rims we've ever seen on stainless cookware, and because of it, they have stellar drip-free pouring. And somehow, the large rims do not detract from the cookware's beauty. We're not sure how they did this, but it's an excellent design. 

The pan rims also appear to be sealed, which is not a given with stainless cookware (All-Clad pans rims are not sealed) and makes these pans completely dishwasher safe (though once again, we recommend hand washing).

Lids: All Sardel lids are stainless steel, which is as it should be for clad stainless steel cookware. (Glass lids are heavier and more fragile, and tend to be found on lower quality cookware.)

The lids are flat, fit the pans snugly, and have comfortable, roomy handles.

We took a half point off because the lid for the sauté pan is an extra purchase, and sauté pans should always come with lids (after all, their use for braising is what differentiates them from skillets). But if you don't mind that the lid is extra (about $30), you can bump our rating up a bit. 

Base: If you use an induction cooktop, you may be concerned about how flat the base of your cookware is. The flatter the bottom, the better the contact is with the induction hob, so the more efficient the heating will be. (Having said that, most pan bottoms flatten out when heated, so it's not all that huge of an issue.)

Sardel cookware has one of the flattest bases we've seen on a clad stainless steel skillet. We were concerned that high heat might even make it convex, but it didn't. The pan is flat and kept its shape well at all heat levels.

Ease of Cleaning: No stainless steel cookware gets a better than average rating for ease of cleaning because food can stick to steel. It's probably the number one reason why people prefer nonstick pans to stainless steel, even with all the fussy care that goes along with them.

But if you learn a few basic techniques, you can use steel cookware without minimal sticking:

Sardel cookware washes up about the same as most other clad stainless cookware we've tested. There's nothing special about it that makes it easier to clean. But if you use the right cooking techniques, you don't really need nonstick cookware to fill the gap.

Sardel nonstick: Of course the Sardel nonstick pan gets higher marks for ease of cleaning--but once again, it's not something we recommend. Learn to cook with stainless steel (as well as carbon steel and cast iron), and you'll be rewarded with high quality cookware that you won't have to replace every few years, and can also take high heat, metal utensils, and all the other abuse a pan should be able to stand up to in your kitchen.

Sardel carbon steel: What about the Sardel carbon steel? Some people actually find seasoned pans easier to care for than steel. Once they develop their smooth nonstick coating, they rarely require more than a rinse with hot water and thorough drying before putting away--but if you do need to scrub them, you can do so without harming them. (Just don't soak them like steel, because that can ruin the seasoning.)

Value, Price and Warranty

When we look at value of cookware that will last for decades, we like to look at its cost-per-year-of-use rather than just its initial cost. This is because over the long run, you will spend less on high quality cookware that lasts for generations than you will on less expensive cookware that you have to replace every few years.

In other words, the higher cost of a premium brand will actually save you money in the long run.

This is not true for any nonstick cookware, however, because all nonstick coatings are thousands of times more fragile than all steel pans. No matter how great they are when new, or how durable the maker claims they are, they simply aren't going to last very long: the average life span of nonstick coatings is 1-5 years, and there's no reason to think that Sardel pans will be any different.

So if you want to buy long-lasting cookware, invest in good quality. If you want nonstick cookware, don't spend a lot, because in the long run, you won't get your money's worth out of it.

We love Sardel cookware, but we wish they had set options that did not include a nonstick pan. Their nonstick is excellent quality, but even so, it won't last as long as a $100 pan should. 

So while Sardel is top quality, their clad stainless nonstick is a poor investment, which means their sets overall may not be the best place to invest your cookware dollar. 

However, we do highly recommend the rest of their open stock pieces.

Sardel offers an excellent 30 day risk free guarantee with free shipping and returns. They also have a standard limited lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects. 

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Is the Sardel Nonstick Skillet Any Good?

The Sardel nonstick skillet has a PTFE-based nonstick coating reinforced with steel, and it has a honeycomb pattern that helps foods release easily. It is one of Sardel's most popular pans and gets rave reviews from nearly all users.

If you've read any of our articles about nonstick cookware, you know that we're not huge fans of it. It's fussy to use, it doesn't last, it doesn't brown food very well (unless you use high heat, which kills the nonstick properties), and the PTFE industry is a major pollutant of our planet. (More than 90% of Americans have some PFAS chemicals in their bodies, largely because of the lax regulations in the PTFE cookware industry).

And if you are going to use nonstick cookware, then we recommend buying cast aluminum rather than clad stainless. It's less expensive, which should be your main concern when buying nonstick cookware (again, because it doesn't last). When the nonstick coating on a clad stainless pan wears out, you're left with a useless pan that you probably paid at least $100 for. 

Having said all of that, we know there are many of you who just can't live without a nonstick pan. So if you just have to have one and budget isn't a concern for you, then the Sardel nonstick pan is beautiful and high quality.

If you're willing to move away from nonstick, though, consider the Sardel carbon steel pan instead. This is an investment piece that will last for generations, and doesn't contain any toxic chemicals that are bad for humans and terrible for the environment. 

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Sardel Cookware FAQs

Is Sardel Cookware Any Good?

Yes: Sardel cookware is very high quality.

Where Is Sardel Cookware Made?

All Sardel products are made in or sourced from Italy.

Is Sardel as Good as Made In?

Yes, Sardel is as good as Made In. See our comparison table for more information.

Where Can I Buy Sardel Cookware?

Sardel is a direct-to-consumer brand, so you can only buy Sardel from the Sardel website. 

Is Sardel Cookware Oven Safe?

Sardel stainless steel and carbon steel cookware are oven safe to 500F. Sardel nonstick is oven safe to 480F.

Is Sardel Cookware Dishwasher Safe?

Sardel stainless steel cookware is dishwasher safe, but the carbon steel cookware is not. We recommend washing by hand for best results.

What Is the Warranty on Sardel Cookware?

All Sardel cookware comes with a limited lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects.

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Our Sardel Picks (Buying Options)

See our table at the beginning of this review for buying options.

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Summary: Sardel Cookware Pros and Cons

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Final Thoughts on Sardel Cookware

Sardel is one of the latest direct-to-consumer cookware brands. It's made in Italy and geared to home cooks who want to have fun in the kitchen. It's light enough to handle easily yet heats evenly and has excellent heat retention.

Though it doesn't offer a lot of differentiation from other high-end clad stainless brands, Sardel cookware is excellent quality and the sets have pretty good pieces, except for the nonstick skillet. Prices aren't remarkably lower than other D2C brands (or even good retail brands), but you can save a little if you buy smart (hint: don't buy the nonstick skillets).

If Sardel offered a set without a nonstick pan (perhaps replacing it with their excellent carbon steel skillet) and perhaps with the larger sauce pan, this cookware would be almost perfect. 

Thanks for reading!

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